The demonstration, conducted at its Hollister, California headquarters, tests the company’s 600kW Flight-Intent System
HOLLISTER, Calif., August 10, 2021 – After launching the development of its 600 kW powertrain for use in 19-seat aircraft late last year, ZeroAvia has achieved its first major milestone for the HyFlyer II program
The ground test, involved ZeroAvia’s flight-intent 600kW powertrain, pulling ZeroAvia’s new 15-ton HyperTruck mobile ground testing platform across the tarmac. The HyperTruck, developed based on heavy-duty military trucks, is sized for the company’s ZA-2000 2MW+ powertrain, which can be used to test systems for 40-80 seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft. The ground tests of the 600kW propulsion system support the on-track development of the company’s HyFlyer II program, which will deliver a hydrogen-electric, zero-emission propulsion system for airframes 10-20 seats in size.
Val Miftakhov, CEO and founder of ZeroAvia, said:”These tests are important steps in reaching our next major goal of flight testing in our 19-seat aircraft in both the US and UK Do228-based prototypes. A hearty congratulations to our whole team, who have worked expertly and diligently developing this system.”
This is ZeroAvia’s first high-power run of the ZA-600, kicking off its test program for the flight-intent hardware to prepare the system for flight. The first milestone test-flights of HyFlyer II’s Dornier 228 aircraft testbed are expected to take place later this year from ZeroAvia’s UK facility in Kemble.
Gabe DeVault, the company’s Head of Testing and Applications, said: “The Hollister testing is a significant milestone for our new HyperTruck testbed and ZA-600 that also confirms the operation of our next-generation control system and software. Our US team is excited to support the important work of our colleagues in the UK and ultimately scaling up our proven hydrogen fuel cell integration for larger commercial aircraft engines, which the HyperTruck supports.”
In June 2021, the company announced the procurement of two Dornier 228 aircraft for the next phase of its 19-seat program, building off the success of the 250kW powerplant in a 6-seat aircraft across three flight test campaigns. And in March 2021, ZeroAvia launched the development program for a 2MW hydrogen-electric powertrain for full-size regional aircraft. ZeroAvia completed its first commercial-scale hydrogen-electric-powered flight in September 2020.
ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov also was recently selected to become a member of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) Board of Directors. The organization is a top fuel cell industry association that strives to promote the environmental and economic benefits of fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies.
ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting 500-mile range in 9-19 seat aircraft used for commercial passenger transport, cargo, agriculture, and more. Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for two prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, and is on track for commercial operations in 2024. The company’s expanding UK operations are supported by grants from UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Prime Minister’s Jet Zero Council.
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